Stossel Fights the "Food Police"

On Fox last night, mustachioed laissez-faire fanatic John Stossel applied his "common sense" fearmongering shtick to the concept of "Food Police." You see, it's not just the local government here in NYC that is trying to influence what people eat (and smoke, and drink!)—this is going on in cities across America. Here in New York, some restaurants are required to display calorie info, and there's a ban on trans fat. Salt and soda are in the crosshairs too! In South LA, they've banned any new fast food restaurant from opening. Well, Stossel is here to defend people from the food cops; in this clip he starts with LA and finishes by busting Bloomberg for using salt and eating trans fat.

In another part of show, Stossel argues that all this food policing is especially troubling, given "the move toward gov run health care. Because if government pays for your health care, then they can say they have a stake in what you eat. Where will that end? I can hear the bureaucrats now: If we're paying for your treatment then you cannot eat that doughnut. In fact, we're going to have government exercise police come to your house and make sure you run laps and do push-ups." That's right—and if you don't comply, it's off to Obama's Death Panels!

The problem with Stossel's Ayn Randian ranting is that taxpayers already subsidize much of the health care costs connected to obesity. According to the CDC, the annual per capita increase in Medicare spending attributable to obesity at 36%. Medicaid comes in at 47%. A study cited by the Wall Street Journal notes that "if the prevalence of obesity were merely at 1987 levels, Medicare spending would be at least $40 billion a year lower."

Stossel, ever the Libertarian, would say that we should just cut those programs entirely, and let the elderly and indigent fend for themselves. Alternatively, we could use "common sense" programs to help prevent diseases like diabetes before they start, by arming consumers with facts about the calories in their food and the unhealthy impact of soda guzzling. These NYC Health Dept. initiatives aren't forcing anyone to eat healthy, just as their free condom program isn't forcing anyone to use protection, so isn't the term Food Police just a little histrionic? Let's call them Food Crossing Guards, and thank them for helping people cross the street without lapsing into a diabetic coma.

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By John Del Signore in Food on January 29, 2010 3:19 PM

Comments [rss]

MrCholly

Stossel is fraud, liar and general asshole. He has NO credibility at all. He and FOX are a marriage made in heaven.

Stewart

Children younger than 16 shouldn't be having sex, but it's widely acknowledged that they do anyway. So what do public schools do? They give away birth control and have sex education.

If the gov knows that it can't keep children from having sex with one another, why does it think that it can force adults to eat healthier?

The world is full of poor choices, are you seriously suggesting that it is the government's duty to take away some of those choices entirely to force people to choose better?

Are you going to make it illegal for people who get food stamps to make french fries at home, deep fried in oil, from the potatoes the government gives them the money to buy? Or for anyone with a BMI > 25 to buy and consume full fat dairy products?

kanopemainer

“…………..and a requirement that chains post the calories for their menu items.”

I find it totally useless to provide calorie counts on Restaurant menus. The majority of the US population does not understand, comprehend, nor is willing to inform themselves about calorie intake.

The education should lie by letting people know what actually calorie consumption will do to them, and not just telling them how many there are in a particular food item eaten.

I totally object to forcing the restaurant industry to be a guidance counselor to health problems of the public. Forcing the public school system to teach nutrition and valuable eating habits to first graders and up, would have a better impact overall in awareness.

These unlisted ADDITIVES, meant to enhance foods for flavor, preservation and appearance. ADDITIVES of these kinds will and do not only entice but draw young children and adults towards a HIGHER consumption, leading to ADDICTION of a certain product, which in turn increases caloric intake resulting in OBESETY.

Please remember, “ADDITIVES” (unknown to smokers) in tobacco products led to addiction and ultimately to illness and death.

So please make it your point to have industry divulge any and all additives, have independent labs examine these and find the relation of quantitative food intake where these ADDITIVES are present. Let the public know the outcome and results of such study versus making restaurants, of any kind, nutrition educators.

Thank you, and I am excited to hear from you.

Qraymond

425,000 Americans die of heart disease every year. In 2009, 14 Americans died in domestic terror attacks.

We seem more than eager to sacrifice our civil liberties to prevent terrorism, yet it is a far lesser threat.

SonnyBobiche

Another predictable JDS byline. A little NYC related news and a hissy fit attack on libertarians and conservatives.

In November, he'll prpbably claim that he's so upset with the US that moving to France.

Kevin Walsh

I'm with Stossel. Eat what you damn please...

www.forgotten-ny.com

NannyState

Like a broken clock, Stossel The Tool may be right twice a day, but that doesn't mean anyone wants to see his dyed hair and shriveled frame, or listen to his annoying teabagger whiny drone. If all this crap means so much to the bastard, let him run for congress...let him stand before the voting public to be soundly repudiated and shoved to the side of the road with all the other bloviating ideological wreckage.

cucarachita

The fact is we all live together in this world. When people abuse themselves, we all pay. Not just in a socialist system. Insurance gets more expensive the more people abuse their bodies and end up in ill health and need to use the insurance's most expensive services. Me, I'm healthy. I don't smoke, I don't overeat, I don't indulge in unsafe sexual behavior, and I act responsibly when outside, crossing streets, in cars etc. I'm not a burden to society, I'm not one of the people who spend your tax dollars in the emergency room because I refused to get insurance, and I'm not one of the people whose unhealthy behavior gets your premiums raised. And I get mad when I see people who just don't care. They're always the first to say, "It's a free country, I don't want anyone telling me what to do", somehow.

What is this, a country of rebellious brats who can't get over their rebellion against any kind of responsibility to society? Did they never get over their dads telling them, "as long as you live in my house you'll live by my rules?" Time to grow up.

Dead Himmler

Self Assessment FAIL. People like you are a huge burden to society by being so fucking annoying. Quality of life issue.

FrankMartin

How does someone fail a "self" assessment?

imadick

when they look in the mirror and say "I'm Good Enough, I'm Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like Me"

JacqueMehoff

finally, people are aware of this guy's act.

RevWaldo

His act and Penn & Teller: Bullshit!. Yeah I said it.

JacqueMehoff

penn and teller BS is the same as john stossel except one show is allowed to swear. I lost respect for penn and teller they did some good segments but it's really the same as stossel's.

timmmyk

I agree, "tool" is the adjective that describes Stossel best.

ides_of_march

Maybe the government can regulate everyone's sex lives too. If they're paying for the treatment of AIDS and other STD's abortions and maternity care, they should have a say on how you use your body. That's the road we're on anyway.

sidenote

Think it's the opposite - the financial / moral interest is in providing free condoms / needles to those who want to make those choices to prevent them from getting sick / pregnant because of them.

They're doing the same thing here - providing healthier choices to people upfront so they don't suffer as much from eating fast food.

Bottomless Chips

"More than $8 billion is spent each year to diagnose and treat STDs/STIs and their complications. This figure does not include HIV. [4]"

I don't know how much is paid for with Medicaid, but it has to be a little bit.

Liberals only pretend they like freedom when it suits their own viewpoint.

thefacts

Conservatives only want freedom as they define it.

They want to deny a women's freedom of choice.

I am not free to smoke pot. My gay friends are not free to marry. But onservatives believe corporations have freedom of speech.

It is the conservatives who are the worst offenders of freedom.

Bottomless Chips

Conservatives only want freedom as they define it.

They want to deny a women's freedom of choice.

I am not free to smoke pot. My gay friends are not free to marry. But onservatives believe corporations have freedom of speech.

It is the conservatives who are the worst offenders of freedom.

Agreed. The GOP is very inconsistent, too.

I'm with you on pot and freedom of association, but not with you on abortion. It's a person's choice to engage in sexual acts with whomever, but a fetus is a life. But I'm a misogynist because I think this way, right?